Bangladesh Power Development Board

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPBD) is a publicly owned government agency responsible for the planning, generation, transmissions and distribution of electricity in Bangladesh power supply. The BPBD has installed capacity of 3719 megawatts (MW) from 50 Units which it owns itself as well as purchasing and additional 2104 MW from private producers.

Coal power plants
BPBD states that, as of early 2011, coal plants account for 45% or 2638 MW of the total output of both its own and independent producers plants. The board states that "in the Western Zone, Coal and imported liquid fuel is used for generation of electricity. The fuel cost per unit generation in the Western Zone is much higher than that of the Eastern Zone. Therefore, as a policy, low cost electricity generated in the Eastern Zone is transferred to the Western Zone through the 230 kV East-West Inter connector transmission line."

Proposed new coal generation plants
In November 2010 Reuters reported that the BPDB had announced the aim of generate 9,000 megawatts of electricity by 2015. The country currently produces approximately 4,000 MW of electricity a day "against peak hourly demand of over 6,000 MW."

The BPDB called for tender bids on a number of new power plants including two coal-fired plants. One is a 300MW coal plant to be built near Chittagong port. The tender closes at the end of January 2011. The board has also sought tenders for a 650MW coal plant to be built near Mawa. Both projects are proposed to be constructed on a build, own and operate basis for 25 years.

Reuters reported that BPDB officials stated that in the near future thwy would call for bids for "10 new power plants to add another 4,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid."

Proposed new coal-fired power stations include:
 * Barapukuria 3rd Unit, a 250-300 MW coal-fired unit being developed by BPDB slated to be commissioned in December, 2013;
 * Chittagong power station, a 1300 MW coal-fired unit being developed by BPDB as part of a Public-Private Partnership slated to be commissioned by June 2015;
 * Khulna South power station, a 1300 MW coal-fired unit being developed by BPDB as part of a Public-Private Partnership slated to be commissioned by December 2015;
 * Maowa power station, is a proposed 300-650 MW Coal Fired Power plant which the Bangladesh Power Development Board is seeking proposals from private generators to build own and operate. The power station would be near Maowa in Munshiganj district.

Contact details
Website" http://www.bpdb.gov.bd/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Bangladesh and coal